The good news is that virtual trade shows and virtual fairs are becoming increasingly popular by the day, especially now during Covid times! However, there is an art to creating a virtual trade show that looks and feels like a real-life show.There are numerous benefits of holding a virtual trade show over a physical show! These include reducing costs, making planning easier, maximizing audience reach, qualifying lead generation, measuring results, and giving attendees flexibility to attend from wherever they are.But where do you start with organizing your virtual trade show or fair? As with any event, there’s still lots to think about, including what is the best free virtual trade show software to use.Well, we’re here to help! Here is our checklist for hosting the best virtual trade show or fair:

1. Choosing your virtual event technology

You need virtual event software that’s easy to use, visually compelling, maximizes engagement, as well as the ability to customize how your virtual trade show looks and feels. We recommend spending a fair amount of time looking into your virtual event software to make sure it’s easy for anyone and everyone to use and that it has all the features you need!At Remo, we know how important it is to shape how your exhibitors and attendees interact with each other at your virtual trade show, offering a unique and unforgettable experience. At a trade show, attendees need to have individual conversations at each stall but also be able to move around freely to the next. Any reputable virtual event software provider will offer you a free trial - and we have good news, you can sign up for a Remo free trial right now!

2. Designing your space

For your virtual trade show to look and feel like a physical show, you want to fully personalize your space, your theme, and brand it! Your exhibitors want to know they have spent their money wisely by exhibiting at your event so it needs to look well thought out and professional. Think about how you can make everything at your virtual trade show or fair visually compelling. From the event image to the custom floor plan, you want it all - and you can have it! For some inspiration and ideas, take a look at some tutorials and virtual events examples.

3. Engaging your audience

This sounds pretty obvious, but it’s crucial to engage with your audience before, but particularly during, your virtual trade show or fair. Just like at a physical event, you want to incorporate presentations, announcements, and personal interactions into your virtual trade show.To make exhibitors and visitors immediately feel welcome, why not add a welcome video and tell them what to expect from your show, as well as highlighting any key information they need to know.Think about how you want your exhibitors and visitors to interact and engage with each other which can be done through them moving freely around the event, as well as through chat, polls and surveys. It’s also crucial to invite important industry specialists and keynote speakers to the stage at your virtual show so you’re offering real value to your attendees.

4. Exhibitor branding & sponsorship

At a virtual trade show or fair, you still need to showcase your sponsors’ branding and make them feel like they have value for money, as well as the exposure they deserve. With Remo, you can add resources as links to the sponsor banner areas within the floor plan. And, there is also the option to use whiteboards to upload documents, media, links and videos within your own custom floor plan. Each table (stall) has their own whiteboard to view, perfect!

5. Educate and inform

Just like a physical show, you need to keep your audience updated during your virtual trade show. You can easily grab the attention of your attendees through announcement functions. On Remo, you can use the announcement feature to let attendees know about special offers or direct them to speaker presentations.

6. Gamify your show

To maximize engagement and increase attendees’ stay-time at your virtual trade show or fair, you can introduce giveaways and games. Many trade show organizers gamify their shows so they can direct attendees to specific stalls or areas of their event. By doing this, you can reward and incentivise your visitors’ attendance at your virtual trade show - make sure you leave it until the end to announce any prize winners!

7. Content is king

With a virtual trade show, you don’t need to worry about printed content but you can still showcase your key content in many ways! Whether it’s a presentation, an important document or a video, you can really make the most of it. Consider the following before creating and including content in your virtual trade show:- What’s new or different about what you are offering?- What’s new in your sector or area of expertise?- How can you get your key messages across in an easily digestible way?- What does your target audience need or want?If you have any questions about Remo’s video conferencing software and how you can use it to create the best virtual trade show, check out our FAQs. You can also find out more about Remo by having a guided tour.